As Long As I Have You
by Lostinthemindscape
Summary: A re-imagining of Harley Quinn's and the Joker's backstories, mainly based on Harley's fantasy at the end of the movie.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi lovelies! So I wanted to try out a new story after watching Suicide Squad, based on Harley's fantasy at the end. I'll be rewriting basically all of the canon, to where the Joker and Harley get dumped into the acid bath a little later in life. Let me know what you think, if it's good or not. Song is Valerie by Amy Winehouse. Happy reading!**

Chapter 1: Perfection

 _And I've missed your ginger hair_

 _And the way you like to dress_

 _Won't you come on over_

 _Stop making a fool out of me_

 _Why don't you come on over Valerie_?

* * *

Harleen Napier had the perfect life. Of course, it didn't start off great, growing up in the Narrows, with a drunken mother and a father in Blackgate, she eventually rose up despite the odds. She worked her ass off to receive scholarships in order to get her psychology degree. But now she had everything she wanted: a husband, children, a perfect home in the suburbs. Sometimes the blonde woman had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, which would then cause her to lightly giggle. Her life was heaven now.

It was one of those times as she cut off the crusts for her children's sandwiches- turkey for Isabella and ham for Isaac- causing another bout of breathless laughter. Her children were patiently waiting at the kitchen table, Isaac coloring and Isabella trying to balance her spoon on her nose. Harleen bit back a smile as she set the two lunches down, still in amazement that the two adorable twins were hers. Her beautiful children, despite all the mischief they caused. Harleen still hadn't cleaned up their latest crayon "masterpiece" currently decorating the bathroom walls. Little devils they were. Already five years old and causing more trouble than any of Gotham's villains.

"Mommy," Isabella whined, kicking her feet impatiently. "When's Daddy getting home?"

Harleen was in the middle of forming a reply when she heard the familiar jingle of keys at the front door. In strode her husband, Jack Napier, love of her life. As per usual, the first thing he did was go to kiss Harleen on the head before squeezing the twins in a tight hug, causing them to shriek in delight. While she was grateful to spend more time time with Jack, she was curious as to why his company would let him leave. The Wayne Corporation was huge, sprawling so far it even reached Harley's workplace in Arkham Asylum. The wouldn't let someone with Jack's importance leave before lunch, even if he wanted to.

"Puddin', why are you home?" She said.

Jack had the gall to play at mock offense, but sauntered over to her place at the sink, playfully dipping her. "What? Did you want me to go back? I'll leave if you really, really, really want me to."

"You know what I mean," She smiled, shaking her head.

"Fear Gas scare. They're decontaminating the building for the rest of today," Jack whispered, Harleen's eyes growing wide.

Fear Gas? Harleen had no idea Crane had already been so avid in the production of his chemical weapon. The man had only been fired from Arkham two months ago! And while she was sad to see him go, experimenting on patients was a huge no-no.

"Was the Bat there?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, face contorting into concern. Despite Batman's "hero" status in Gotham, neither Jack nor Harleen trusted him. Someone who wore a mask had too much to hide.

Jack frowned. "The Bat's who got us all out. Right as I was digging something up on the Waynes and Sionis-"

Jack could have finished, if it was not for their screaming children. Apparently Isaac had gotten bored and deconstructed his sandwich, only to place the contents on his sister's face. In retaliation, Isabella poured her juice all over her brother's head. Truly a normal day in their household. Hopefully it would be something that they would grow out of. Hopefully.

"I'll get new clothes-"

"I'll cheer them up."

Harleen and Jack had dealing with upset twins down to a science. As she walked down the hallway in their quaint little one-story, Harleen couldn't help but laugh as Jack started in on a few jokes to calm the children.

"So three raccoons walk into a bar…"

•••

"She's what?!" Harleen gasped into the phone, having to grab the wall to steady herself. Jack caught her eye, raising an eyebrow and walking closer.

On the other line was Harleen's best friend, Pamela Isley, or Red as the blonde liked to call her. They had been instant friends when they were placed in the same dorm, nearly inseparable since. Pamela and Harleen had both gone through graduate school together, cheering each other up during long nights studying for biology and psychology exams respectively. And the current subject of interest was their other roommate, Selina Kyle.

"It's all over the news," Pamela's low voice crooned into the phone. "Captured by the Bat himself."

"You know Jack and I don't listen to the news while the twins are awake, we don't want them hearing about all that pain and suffering, especially about the Narrows," Harley twisted the phone cord nervously.

Pamela sighed. "We all grew up in that pain and suffering, sweet pea. Even your precious Jack."

At the mention of her husband's name, Harleen looked over. She could see the impatience growing in his face. Even though he was really a sweet man, he did have a few problems with anger. Not enough to warrant a diagnosis, in the woman's opinion. But enough to frighten.

'Selina's Catwoman. She just got arrested by Batman,' Harleen mouthed, to Jack's evident shock. She knew they were thinking along the same lines, how Selina might shoplift the odd tangerine from the supermarket but certainly not priceless jewels. All this was communicated with eyebrow raises and slight changes in facial expressions.

Pamela's voice brought Harleen out of her silent conversation with Jack. "It seems like everyone's going insane lately. First Jonathan, now Selina. We all went to school together as well, there must be something in the water. Jason thinks they must have fed all of us chemicals at Gotham U."

Harleen's face fell. "You know what I think about Jason."

She had caught Jack's bristle at the name of Pamela's fiance. Again, the husband and wife shared similar taste in people. And Doctor Jason Woodrue rubbed them both the wrong way. Maybe it was the fact that the longer Pamela was with him, the more the redhead seemed to waste away. However, Harleen knew for a fact why Jack hated him so much. One night, when Jack and Harleen had come back from a date early, they had caught the man rifling through Harleen's things. It was a miracle Jack hadn't throttled the frail doctor, for how angry he was. Harleen still hadn't gotten around to telling Pamela, who was she to get in the way of love?

"You only think he's strange because Jack thinks so. You both have an age difference as well," Pamela retorted.

"Eight years is a lot different than eighteen, Red. He was already a legal adult by the time we were born!"

"Well, we can't all have the perfect romance like you. Even though I still Jack's hiding something from you. Don't be surprised when he ends up on the news again for doing something criminal…"

"His days working for Falcone are long over, Pamela. Goodbye," Harleen said curtly, giving the phone a nice slam down on the holder for good measure.

First she brought up Jason, and then Jack's past? Harleen really needed to get better friends. Of course she had known, not from the get go but well into their engagement. Jack had anxiously told her about his less than savory past, promising he had left that life far behind him a long time ago. At first, the blonde was shocked, but then she began to rationalize it in her head. Being muscle for Falcone back in the day had been probably one of the most high paying jobs at the time. He did what he had to survive in the slums of Gotham and Harleen knew that better than anyone. But even at the mention of the crime boss, Falcone, Harleen knew Jack was imagining the GCPD banging down their door.

"It's okay Puddin', you're here with me, it's alright, yeah?" She whispered soothingly, folding her body into his. She continued on like that, whispering and tracing her fingers in slow circles on his back. "You're not like that anymore, you know that, I know that. That's all that matters."

He held her tightly, as if she was going to disappear. And in a very different universe, she might have. Had Harleen been slightly different, she might have encouraged Jack's crimes. Or they might have been pitted against each other on either sides of the law. She knew that despite every possible scenario, she would choose Jack, every damn time.

After about ten minutes, Jack pulled away, taking her hand and leading her into the living room, retracing his steps slightly to put on a record. Harleen giggled, knowing he was trying to romance her.

The blonde started to sway as Amy Winehouse's crooning filled the room, but not too loud as to not wake the children. She felt hands close in on her waist, turning to face Jack. Her smile only grew as they moved to the music, her rather well and him not so much. Harleen didn't care. This was perfect to her, especially as Jack leaned down to kiss her. She never wanted this moment to end, no matter how impossible it seemed.

•••

Richard Sionis strutted between the abandoned desks of one of the Wayne Corp.'s accounting buildings, dragging a gloved hand along the tops of of the polished wood. Paying Scarecrow to install an unopened canister of Fear Gas in the building's air vents had merely been pocket change to the crime boss. Anything to keep his secret with Thomas Wayne.

The millionaire stopped in front of a door, where his men had said one of his firewalls had been decrypted. The computer in this room was the offending one, the one that could initiate the downfall of both the Wayne empire and his own. Information the police would roll over and beg for. Information they couldn't have.

He held up his hand, signaling his men to wait. The crime boss took a closer look at the name stenciled on the door. Jack Napier. A nobody who fancied himself a somebody. What would a man do with this information? No doubt turn it into the GCPD. Most likely straight to Jim Gordon himself, the only cop who wasn't in either Sionis' or Falcone's back pocket. A no-good snitch that would have to go.

"We're leaving. And paying one Mr Jack Napier a house visit tomorrow," Sionis drawled, turning on his heel.

A few of his men let out a strangled gasp. The hardened ones that had been with him since the very beginning. He hadn't expected that. These men had been through too many bloodbaths to count, each one loyal to Sionis until their dying breath. And sometimes that sentiment was very literal.

"Speak," He commanded.

Marcus Johnson, the one who's been on the payroll the longest, cleared his throat. "He's… Napier was one 'a Falcone's guys in the old days. Real nasty. Put lots'a guys six feet under."

Sionis' grin curled into a smirk. "Well it looks like we'll have some fun tomorrow, won't we?"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: hey lovelies! Thank you so much for the positive response to this! First off, yes this will be multichaptered, and later chapters will have giant time skips, which will go up until the twins are teenagers. Also, this chapter is set in the early days of Batman with a combination of Affleck Batman's affinity for killing, so he's more aggressive than a good majority of us are used to anyways, thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, followed, or even just read the first chapter! Happy reading!**

Chapter 2: Choice

 _I've got a lover_

 _A love like religion_

 _I'm such a fool for sacrifice_

 _It's coming down, down, coming down_

* * *

Harleen was once again at the phone, her panic mounting. Her manicured hand twisted the cord this way and that, her hair falling out of it's usual neat bun. The dial tone on the other end of the phone did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Hello? Jack Napier's office," Jack's pleasant secretary answered.

"Janice? This is Harleen," The blonde breathed a sigh of relief. If Janice was calm, things couldn't be that bad. "Has Jack left already?"

"Oh, Dr Harleen! How nice of you to call," The secretary gushed. "Yes, your husband left hours ago. Actually, at around three. I've never seen him leave that early in my three years of working for him. Is everything alright?"

"Every-everything's fine, thank you Janice," Harleen choked out, hanging up the phone.

Jack was a creature of habit. He never left early. No exceptions.

Harleen felt her throat start to close up and her chest constrict in fear. Something bad had to happen. She had tried Jack's cell phone multiple times, all going straight to voicemail. Her frantic texts had remained unanswered. Hesitantly, she set off a text to Pamela, knowing that despite their fight, she would still come when Harleen called.

As the blonde strode into their bedroom, her imagination began to conjure horrible situations. Maybe Falcone had decided that Jack knew too much and had sent a few men to kill him. Maybe he had been caught in the middle of a firefight between the police and any number of Gotham's gangs. Or perhaps the worst of it all, maybe the Bat had a list and was hunting down all ex-mob members. A list that started with Jack Napier.

Carefully she unlocked the safe with the dismantled pistol in it, the one on Jack's side of the bed. It was for emergencies only. Harleen was fairly sure this counted as an emergency as her shaking hands reassembled the gun.

She tucked the gun into her waistband, pulling on a black coat and a pair of shoes. She had known long ago that she would risk everything for her family, just to know that they were safe. She had sworn she would take a bullet for her husband. And now it seemed that her oath would be put to the test.

The chime of the doorbell resounded throughout the house, causing the blonde to rush towards it. Standing there was Pamela, looking slightly angry.

"Look Harleen, if you wanted me to apologize you know it's not-" The redhead trailed off, taking in the blonde's determined face and the gun sticking out of her waistband.

"I think Jack's in trouble, I need you to watch the twins," Was all she said in response.

Pamela nodded, following Harleen to the living room where the twins were sitting on the couch, covered under a red blanket and squishing each other's faces with their hands. Harleen felt her breath die in her lungs, feeling that this could very much be the last time she saw them. She crossed over to the couch, scooping the blonde twins into her arms. Isaac had always been the more sensitive of the two, and hugged back just as hard, while Isabella stood stock still. Tears forming in Harleen's eyes, she kissed each of their heads in turn before letting go.

Isaac was the first to ask. "Is Daddy okay?"

"I don't know, baby," she said. "But I'm gonna find out."

Isabella nodded, curling her arms around her brother. With a nod at Pamela, Harleen strode towards the garage, getting into her car. She gunned the engine and headed straight towards Gotham proper, fearing what she might find.

In truth, the drive into the heart of the city was a quiet one and therefore a stressful one. It led Harleen to imagine even more gruesome scenarios, and this did nothing to calm her nerves.

So when Harleen came across a roped off police section on the edges of Gotham, her heart was in her chest. Quickly she parked the car and sprinted over to the forming crowd along the police tape, watching as an ambulance pulled up along the various police cars, fire trucks, and news vans.

"This is Vicki Vale. As you can see, the ACE Chemical plant is seeing some excitement today. A new gang has infiltrated the abandoned facility, taking a hostage, Jack Napier…"

The rest of the reporter's words died on Harleen's ears. Her husband was in there. Jack. And no doubt some gang wanted him dead.

She had to go get him. Til death do us part. Harleen took that portion of the vows very seriously, and if she had the chance to prevent death, she certainly would.

Steeling herself, the blonde ducked under the police tape and made a beeline for the door, knocking over a few cops. As one particularly fat one got in front of her, Harleen propelled herself over his arm and landed in a somersault, getting back up and running as fast as she could. Thank you gymnastics.

Harleen finally made it to safety in the building. Voices carried from the highest floor and Harleen started up the stairs in determination, anxiously waiting to find her husband.

•••

When she reached the top of the stairs, the woman instantly ducked behind a pillar, watching the scene unfold in front of her. Goons were scattered around the platform, each in just black clothes. Not very theatrical, in Harleen's opinion, this was Gotham after all. Each held a machine gun and near the edge of the platform stood a man in a suit with a black skull mask. And there was Jack, tied to a chair and precariously teetering on the edge.

Harleen's breath hitches as her eyes took in the damage. A cut above his eyebrow, bruising along his eye socket and trickles of blood dripping from a spot in his hair. For a second, his gaze lingered over to Harleen's hiding spot. He had seen her and his fear was very evident.

"One more time, Mr Napier, how did you get past our firewall?" The masked man asked.

Jack laughed. Not his normal laugh, but a breathless sound that wouldn't be out of place in Arkham. It frightened Harleen.

"You're going to kill me anyways, there's no point."

"You know, if you're useful enough," Mask Guy bent down to Jack's level. "I was going to offer you a job. You'd take it, wouldn't you?"

"Over my dead body, Sionis," he spat, the chair once again rocking dangerously.

Richard Sionis? The CEO? Harleen didn't have enough time to dwell on the fact because in swooped the Bat, late as always. Suddenly the action turned from Jack to the Batman, all guns trained in his direction. And because he was Batman, he didn't get hit by a single one, instead rolling and taking them all out. Figures.

Harleen took the time to sneak out of her hiding place, going straight to Jack. She began to work on the ropes as quick as she could, her small fingers turning red from the friction.

"Harleen. You shouldn't have come," he whispered.

She paused to kiss him on the cheek. "I couldn't let you die."

And the ropes were finally gone, much to the displeasure of the blonde's bleeding fingers. Oh well. Jack was okay and they would get out of this alive. Maybe.

The click of a gun caught the couple's attention. There was Sionis, two pistols in hand. One pointed at Harleen and the other point blank at the Bat. Jack instinctively pulled his wife closer, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist. The other slipped the gun out of Harleen's waistband, pointing it directly at Sionis.

"I wouldn't be pointing that at my wife," Jack snarled.

Eyes wild, face bloody, hair messed up, Jack looked truly wild. For the first time in her life, Harleen saw the scourge of Gotham, the man that terrified every gang member to their core.

"Puddin', let's go home," Harleen whispered, trembling as his arm pressed uncomfortably tight around her.

"No one leaves," the Bat growled.

Sionis scowled. "Oh why don't you shut it. You seem to be missing a shadow today. I wonder what possibly could have happened to that little bird of yours? Broke a wing, has he?"

That seemed to get on Batman's nerves. Faster than the couple could comprehend, the caped man threw a solid left hook at Sionis' face, then grabbing onto an outstretched arm and flipping the millionaire onto his back. A thud echoed through the metal of the grate, knocking the man out cold.

Slowly, Jack lowered the gun and released Harleen, who could finally breathe again. They stood side by side next to the broken railing, catching their breath while the Bat was busy.

They tried to make a silent escape, Jack pushing Harleen toward the more solid flooring before attempting to walk off the unstable grate.

Swifter than lightning, the Bat aimed a kick square at Jack's chest. He stumbled back, losing his footing altogether and tipping on the edge of the grate, down towards the main floor. Harleen reached out to grab him, her fingers mere inches from his. But gravity took its course and Harleen watched in vain as her husband fell into a vat of acid.

She screamed, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around herself. Her soul had been ripped out of her body, in a pain that radiated through every inch of her.

"You horrible man!" She spat, tears streaming down her face.

"I couldn't allow a man with that many murders to live," the Bat spoke calmly, but this time his voice sounded like a normal person's. Gone was the gravelly voice of a demon. Now he sounded like a broken man. "It's likely you never really knew who your husband was. Pasts like that never truly come to light."

Harleen narrowed her brows. "Of course I knew his past. He loves me and I love him."

Harleen looked over at the broken railing. The universe was testing her. Life or Jack. Life or Jack.

Jack.

Every time.

So the blonde flung herself off the metal walkway, only hearing a strangled "No!" from Batman. It didn't matter to her. With perfect diving form, she was on her way to her husband. Her beautiful, loving husband.

As her body hit the vat of acid, it was cold to her at first. And then it burned like fire. She struggled to see in the yellow liquid. But there, at the bottom, was an unconscious Jack. She swam towards him, ignoring the pinpricks of pain all over. She grabbed him and swam straight up. Every muscle protested, but she had to save him.

The couple broke the surface, Jack coughing and Harley swimming them over to a small landing, placing his body down before lying on her stomach. Her body had given her a small bout of adrenaline, but she could feel it leaving. Everything hurt more than it should have.

Distantly she registered a few wet coughs. Good. Jack was alive. She smiled feebly, feeling strong hands roll her onto her back. Those same hands shook her. How sweet.

"Harleen, Harls I need ya to talk to me," Jack's voice was different. Smoother when stringing his words together, yet raspier.

"Love you, Puddin'," she smiled, letting Jack's face be the last thing she saw before the world faded into fuzzy blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: NEW CHAPTER! Ring the bells, call the president because there's an update! But seriously guys, college has been kicking my butt, but thank you so so so so so much to everyone still sticking around! And little disclaimer, the character popping up here is Dr Border, who also shows up in my story All Fun and Games. They're in no way related and actually based off a character in Batman: Endgame! But again thank you to everyone who sticks around with my crazy stories! Song is This is Gospel by Panic! At the Disco. Happy reading!**

Chapter 3: Changes

 _Don't try and sleep through the end of the world_

 _And bury me alive_

 _'Cause I won't give up without a fight_

* * *

Beeping. Harleen hated the beeping. It wouldn't let her sleep, instead making her more awake with every passing second.

But she was strangely warm. There were arms wrapped protectively around her middle and her front was pressed against a strong chest.

Blinking rapidly, the blonde tried to get used to her surroundings. First thing she noticed was the fact that everything was white and sterile. Certainly not her bedroom, which was an eclectic mix of colors and styles. Craning her neck around, she noticed she was in a hospital. And tightly pressed against her in the small gurney was Jack. Shit. Jack hated hospitals. This wasn't going to go well when he woke up.

After she had determined that they weren't in any immediate danger, she turned her attention to Jack. They were still wearing their clothes from the previous night. Or, what she assumed was the previous night. But the colors were washed out, each article of clothing either faded or completely bleached. She had no idea how strong ACE chemicals were...

However, what disturbed her the most was how pale Jack's skin was.

It was pale and papery; Harleen could see every vein along the sides of his face and down into his neck. She traced one on his temple, afraid that even the lightest touch would cause it to burst. And long gone was the orderly brown hair she had grown to love, instead it was bleached as white as his skin and as unruly as a rat's nest. Harleen risked a glance at her hand curled up above Jack's collarbone, which happened to be as pale as his. She had no doubt that her own hair would be white.

Bleached human beings. Harleen didn't even know if it was physically possible for the acid to do that. What would happen to their DNA? Would it crumble their cells? Would they have radiation poisoning? Would the twins get radiation poisoning from just being around them?

The twins. How would they react?

Would everything about her and Jack change?

Harleen took in rapid breaths, convincing her slightly numb fingers to undo Jack's buttons as quick as she could. Forcefully she pulled his shirt down, expertly checking his chest and upper arms for exactly what she was looking for.

On Jack's upper right arm was her target. A black tattoo, the only one he had. Harleen breathed a sigh of relief as she lightly ran a hand over the inked raven. At least that hadn't changed. It was the only tattoo he had, much like Harleen's three diamonds on her upper thigh. It was particularly symbolic and it calmed the woman to know it was there.

When Harleen had been pregnant with the twins, it hadn't been the easiest pregnancy. She constantly sick and her belly was too small for their development. And then she had gone into labor two and a half months early. The twins were the first priority of the doctors, while Harleen unknowingly bled out in her hospital bed. The doctors said she was dead for two minutes. No heartbeat, no breath. Three weeks later, Jack showed up to their bedside with the new tattoo, fresh and red. A raven. The harbinger of death and rebirth.

"Mrs Napier?"

Harleen glanced up at the door, where a doctor was clearing his throat, looking slightly awkward. Quickly, she recovered Jack's chest and tried to sit up as best she could with his arms still clamped around her waist.

"Oh, hiya," Harleen recoiled. Her voice was not carefully constructed way as she had had it for years. Instead, her voice was high with her old Narrows accent, much like how it had been in her childhood. "I-um- I'm sorry 'bout that."

"My name is Doctor Border," The doctor nodded, checking his notes. "The acid might have burned away some non-vital parts, but nothing should be permanent. Cell recovery is possible."

"And what about Jack? Can he speak?" She asked, glancing at her husband.

"We don't know for sure, he was in the acid vat for a longer period than you, I presume?" The doctor asked, sitting down in an armchair against the wall.

Harleen nodded.

"Obviously the acid has had its effect on you two, bleaching your skin and hair. But it has also made your cells impervious to most toxins. It took a while for you both to get used to the new structure, your husband's heart was barely beating which is why we moved you both to the same bed. It's remarkable really, the shared immunity you both have acquired. Almost like pre-me twins in fact, of course you know all about..." The doctor went on and on, talking about cell density and their new molecular structure.

Harleen wasn't listening. Instead, she was more focused on the black smoke curling out of Dr Border's back.

It swirled up with almost a ribbon like quality, not behaving like smoke at all. Instead it flew up in multiple directions, sometimes curling in unnatural ways. Flashes of blue lightning occasionally flickered through, scaring the woman.

She screamed as another voice whispered in her ear, not one belonging to Jack or Dr Border, instead one of her father, who she was certain was still in Blackgate.

Jack's arms tightened around her, sitting up and drawing her close. His face was absolutely murderous, all that rage directed at the doctor. One hand was clenched in a fist, the other gripping Harleen a little too harshly for her taste. But at that point, it didn't matter. She buried her face in her husband's chest, terrified of the disapproving voice of her father.

"What the hell did you give her?" Jack's voice was low and threatening, more raspy than usual.

Dr Border furrowed his brows. "We've given you two nothing but IV drips. We weren't sure what else to..."

"Liar!" Harleen had to restrain Jack, holding him down in the bed as her mind worked against the distracting black smoke and taunting voice of her father.

Schizophrenia. That was her only thought. She had passed the development period for it years ago, but it was possible that the acid had corroded parts of her frontal lobe, therefore creating the onset of the disease. Her mind clicked into doctor mode, creating a list of medications and types of therapy she should need should it continue.

"Thorazine," she stated. "I need Thorazine and a brain scan."

"Mrs Napier, I really don't believe you can just require that out of-"

"It's Dr Napier," she corrected. "I'm a psychiatrist, I think I know the symptoms of schizophrenia."

Both men in the room stared at her. Dr Border in shock and Jack with pride. She knew he enjoyed it when she didn't take shit from anyone, he had even joked at one point that he wanted front row seats whenever it happened.

"But Dr Napier..."

"Go put that prescription in. Or find someone who can," when he didn't leave, she rolled her eyes. "Now, Dr Border."

The lanky man scurried out of the room, clearly terrified as Harleen scoffed. She always had a problem with regular medical doctors who simply thought that mental health wasn't important.

"Mm, someone's a little... feisty today," Jack hummed.

Harleen turned back to her husband, curling into him. "I'm just sick of doctors tellin' me what to do. How you feelin', Puddin'?"

"Horrible."

"Ya know, the doctor said you nearly died. I don't think I could live if you had-"

Light snoring interrupted her sentence. The blonde turned to her husband, giggling at his ability to fall asleep anywhere. She pressed her chest into his, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. While she had to keep up her hope, she had the nagging feeling at the back of her mind that everything was not alright.

•••

Red brought the twins around the next morning, along with a potted plant. Once Jack had expressed his distaste for the plant and therefore Red, she had left the children with them for an excuse of seeing how their paperwork was going. The children jumped up onto the gurney, screaming their love for their parents as Harleen and Jack laughed. Isabella curled up against Harleen as Isaac stayed near their feet. And then their barrage of questions began.

"Why's your bed so tiny?"

"Mommy why were you all sad when you left?"

"Why do you and Daddy look like ghosts?"

"Daddy why's your hair weird, did you and Mommy dye it?"

"Shut up Isaac, they fell into something, no one would want that hair color."

"Isabella! Aunt Red said to be nice!"

"Well Mommy and Daddy are here now so Aunt Red's rules don't count."

"Mommy! Isabella's being mean!"

Harleen had to contain her fit of giggles at the twins' bickering. No wonder Red had brought them over so quickly, she had been dealing with this all week. Their little scrunched up faces were the cutest thing, child anger was just hilarious to her.

"Now now now," Jack began, voice dipping even lower and scooping up the twins. "You don't want to be bad, do you? You know what happens to bad kids, right?"

Their children hushed instantly, eyes growing wide in fear.

"They get eaten by monsters!" Harleen declared, kissing all over the twins' faces interlaced with blowing raspberries.

Isabella squirmed away from the attention while Isaac shrieked with laughter, trying to squish his mother's cheeks together to stop the onslaught.

The family all sat back, trying to catch their breath from laughing so hard. Harleen felt her previous doubt wash away. They'd be fine, as long as they had each other.

"When are you coming home?" Isaac asked.

Harleen kissed the top of his head. "Soon, baby. I promise."


End file.
